VAX4000 VLC diagnostics/console

[Antonio Carlini]

On 13/07/2021 22:34, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote:
> On 7/13/2021 3:30 PM, Adrian Graham via cctalk wrote:
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> Powering up with nothing attached apart from an MMJ/H8571 cable I get
>> nothing on the console, I'm using PuTTY via a genuine COM1 port on a PC
>> which is one level above what I used last time I powered the machine up
>> (FTDI USB adapter to a laptop). Diagnostic LEDs cycle through the 
>> tests and
>> end up at '1111 0011' which according to the manual is 'entering the
>> console program'.
>>
> There are 2 ways to have a console on the VAX4000/VLC.  A switch on 
> the back selects either; (1) graphics console mode, or (2) terminal 
> attached to the serial port.  It sounds like you have the switch set 
> to graphics console mode, in that case you get nothing from the serial 
> port.
>
> I can't remember where the switch is on the back, bitsavers or someone 
> who remembers can help.
>
> Doug
>
If you look from the front it's on the right hand side and marked "S3", 
between the grey reset switch and the keyboard connector. I think that 
S3 needs to be UP otherwise it would expect a monitor and keyboard to be 
attached.

The MMJ connector is on the back (but obviously Adrian has found that 
... or he's pushed really, really hard into either the keyboard 
connector or the phone connector :-))


Antonio

-- 
Antonio Carlini
antonio at acarlini.com